Bessire: Safety Ranks and Projections

Last Updated: 5/1/2016 1:00 PM ET

Projections for every ranked safety are below. Players are ranked based on PredictionMachine.com's 2016 projected statistics for what each player would be expected to do as a 16 game starter on a totally average NFL team against a completely average NFL schedule. Read more about how rankings and projections are done (also includes 2012 rankings and projections).

Below, we include an impact score (0 - 10 scale) for each player. This score is a relative value based on the projections that can put players in context across positions and draft classes. A score of seven or above can generally outperform a replacement player in the NFL at his position as a rookie; an eight or above can be expected to start adequately and a player with a rating over nine is a unique, standout player who could star.

As a matter of context, at this time last year, using the same process, the top five safeties were Anthony Harris (8.2), Kurtis Drummond (8.2), James Sample (8.1), Landon Collins (8.0) and Damarious Randall (8.0). In other words, it was not a very good class. This year's class is not great eit, Jeremy Cash tops the all-time score leader from previous seasons (2012-15), Deone Bucannon, who had registered an 8.5 rating in 2014.